LTS Camera and NVR Tested

LTS is one of the fastest rising manufacturers / OEMs in North America. 

We recently bought and tested the LTN8704-P4LTS, a 4 channel NVR, along with the LTS CMIP3024W-28, a 4MP turret camera.

We tested them against similar specified products from Hikvision, who is reported to be their OEM but with different 'firmware', to see what was different and how LTS stacked up.

Summary

LTS was almost entirely equivalent relabeled Hikvison, with a few minor differences:

• LTS does not support the 'strong' security that Hikvision does, even though LTS runs on the newer 5.3 firmware.
• LTS ships in plain cardboard box instead of Hikvision's branded / consumer packaging.
• The LTS recorder had more options / controls on its front panel.

The technology was not meaningfully different but the two companies go to market approaches are almost completely opposite, which we will examine in an upcoming post.

Pricing

LTS is priced similarly to its Hikvision equivalents. For example, both the LTS 3024 and the Hikvision 2342 can be purchased online for ~$170 USD, and the LTS 8704 NVR and Hikvision 7604 NVR can be purchased can be purchased online for $150 USD. 

MAC Address Confirms OEM

Lest anyone doubt that this is truly a Hikvision OEM, we looked up the OUI of the MAC addresses for the NVR and camera. They are both within the range of Hikvision's MAC address pool. The same OUI (bc:ad:28) was used on both NICs and the lookup result is shown below.

Web Interface Similarities

The LTS and Hikvision web interface layout and features are nearly identical aside from the login screen and some slight position/color changes. The animation below shows the similarities between the two:

Default Credentials/No Activation Required

LTS uses default credentials of admin/12345, the same as Hikvision defaults prior to firmware 5.3. Out of the box, LTS devices are shown in SADP as "Active" (meaning activation has taken place) instead of risky like other devices still using legacy credentials.

In this image, both the LTS and Hikvision cameras have been factory defaulted, with LTS shown as active and Hikvision properly displaying as Inactive.

Logging into the web interface with these default credentials results in only a warning that the password is weak, which is easily canceled to open the live view:

VMS Integration

The camera is listed as an ONVIF conformant product for profiles S and G, and we were able to use the ONVIF driver successfully within Exacq. The NVR is not listed in the conformant product list. Below is a screenshot showing that the camera is listed.

We setup the LTS CIMP3024W-28 in Exacq using the Hikvision and ONVIF drivers as shown below. Most features are similar, if not identical, with the noticeable difference being that the Hikvision driver supports motion, whereas the ONVIF driver does not.

H.264 Zip+

The LTS IP camera includes Hikvision's H.264+ smart CODEC, renamed "H.264 Zip+" in the web interface.

In our tests, LTS and Hikvision bitrates were similar, with 70-80% reductions compared to standard H.264 in both cameras. Readers should see our test of Hikvision H.264+ for full details.

Physical Similarities and Differences

Apart from the branding labels on the cameras there are no identifiable differences between the LTS 3024 and the Hikvision 2342. Without the removable plastic collars on the cameras it is nearly impossible to identify which camera is which.

The body of both NVRs are the constructed of the same materials, are the same color, and have the same physical footprint. The back of both units have the same ports with one exception, the Hikvision has alarm I/0.

The front of the units are less similar. The Hikvision is plain with just 3 status lights and a USB port, while the LTS has the aforementioned as well as 11 button controls, an IR window, and a 5 button navigation/directional control pad that can be used for the menu or used as a control for PTZ.

Cloud Solution - PT Cloud aka EZVIZ

LTS offers PT Cloud as a solution for remote viewing and management of their equipment.  PT Cloud is a redesigned / rebranded version of the EZVIZ mobile app that connects to the backend of EZVIZ.  Though PT Cloud does not offer a web interface you can login to the EZVIZ site with your PT Cloud or your EZVIZ credentials.

To setup PT Cloud, you simply check a box within the web interface of the equipment.  From the main page navigate to Network - Advanced - PT Cloud, then check the enable box.

After the device is PT cloud enabled you can add it to your account a few different ways; scanning a QR code, scanning a serial number bar code, or entering information manually.  When the equipment is associated with either a PT Cloud account or EZVIZ account you can now view and manage those devices.  Note: you cannot register the same email address with both services.  There is not an error displayed, but you will not receive a necessary confirmation code.  Below we show our LTS camera in the PT Cloud mobile app.

The same camera can be managed and monitored through both the EZVIZ app and web portal.  The picture below was taken at the same time as the one above, viewing the live stream from both the PT Cloud app and the EZVIZ website using the same credentials.

 Image Quality Comparison

The images below show how similar the image quality is. The picture below shows the field of view for the full light and low light scenes.

We tested the cameras in our conference room in a full light scene, ~350 lux, where the LTS provided a small advantage over the Hikvision. You are able to read to the 4th line on the LTS chart as opposed to only the 3rd line with the Hikvision camera.

 

We then tested the cameras side by side in our conference in a low light scene, ~0.1 lux. The results are nearly identical.

 The following firmware versions were used:

• LTS LTN8704-P4: v3.3.2 build 151208
• LTS CMIP3042W-28: v5.3.6 build 160322
• Hikvision DS-7604NI-E1 / 4P: v3.3.6 build 151229
• Hikvision DS-2CD2342WD-I: v5.3.6 build 151105